Night vision devices are commonly used by military personnel for conducting operations in low light or night conditions. The night vision devices utilized by the military typically include image intensifier tubes and associated optics that convert infrared and near infrared light into viewable images. Common night vision devices currently being used in the U.S. Army include the PVS7, PVS14, PVS 15, PVS18, PVS21 and PVS23.
Assemblies for mounting night vision devices to a helmet are well known in the art. These mounting assemblies allow a user's hands to remain free while viewing a scene through the night vision device. Prior art mounting assemblies typically include one or more of the following features: positional adjustment of the night vision device between a use and stowed position; tilt angle adjustment of the night vision device relative to the user's eyes; focal adjustment of the location of the night vision device relative to the user's eyes; and automatic shutdown of the night vision device when not in the use position.
Because of the large number of features incorporated into known flip-up helmet mounts, there are areas for improvement upon the known helmet mounts. One area that can be improved is the vertical adjustment mechanism, which currently may be vulnerable to moving out of a desired position if the night vision device is jolted or exposed to intense vibration, such as when a user runs with the device attached to a helmet. Additionally, the vertical adjustment mechanism may be susceptible to foreign particles.